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JUSTIN LEONARD 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Justin Leonard recalls his back-to-back Western Amateur victories

By Patrick Donohue
As any past Western Amateur
champion can attest, earning a place
for one’s name on the historic George
R. Thorne Trophy is a feat worth
celebrating.

Surviving the event’s grueling mix of
stroke and match play to outlast a field
of teeming with future major champions
and PGA TOUR stars requires stamina,
skill and more than a little luck.

The Western Amateur title has been
claimed by some of the game’s greats,
but victory eluded the likes of Bobby
Jones, Tom Watson, Dustin Johnson,
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
Winning the Western Amateur once is
difficult enough. What would it take to
win two years in a row? champion Todd Demsey to earn a third week for last, beating future Western
consecutive Sweet 16 berth. Amateur champion Danny Green 6 & 4
Just ask 1999 Ryder Cup hero Justin
to retain his Western Amateur title.
Leonard, the last player to win the “Those Sweet 16 dinners, outside of
event in back-to-back years and maybe Thanksgiving or Christmas, “I think the reason I was able to win
one of only seven players ever to were some of the best meals of the a couple times was because when I
repeat as champion. year,” Leonard said during an played match play, I just figured, ‘I’m
appearance last year at the WGA Green not going to make any mistakes, and
Winner of the 1997 Open Championship
Coat Gala. “You’re exhausted, but I’m just going to wear an opponent
and a 12-time winner on the PGA
you’re also excited about what’s to down,’” Leonard said.
TOUR, Leonard arrived at Point
come. It was always a pretty elite
O’Woods Golf and Country Club 25 With the win, Leonard joined Sutton,
group of players at those dinners.
years ago this summer with a chance H. Chandler Egan, Charles “Chick”
to make history. “To be a part of that group all three Evans Jr., Bud Ward and Frank
years that I played in the Western Stranahan as the only players ever
If Leonard was able to successfully
Amateur was really special.” to win the Western Amateur in
defend his 1992 Western Amateur title
consecutive years.
against a field that included future Leonard bested Sal Enriquez of Upland,
PGA TOUR professionals Jason Gore, California, in the first round of match “Between the U.S. Amateur and the
Mark Wilson, Bo Van Pelt and Notah play before being taken to extra holes Western Amateur, Tiger and I have
Begay, he would become the first by Oklahoma State All-American talked about this before, we both
player to repeat as Western Amateur Jaxon Brigman. thought that the Western Amateur
champion since Hal Sutton in 1979–80. was harder to win,” Leonard said.
Brigman got as close as any player that
“For amateur golf, the Western
Leonard, then 21, was coming off a win week from keeping Leonard from his
Amateur is a major championship.
at the 1992 U.S. Amateur and another date with Western Amateur history.
It was always fun to compete, and
All-American season at the University
Leonard ousted UNLV standout Chris I have incredible memories of playing
of Texas. He finished third in stroke
Riley 2 & 1 in the semifinal but saved in those events.”
play behind Gore and reigning national
his best match play performance of the

2018 WESTERN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Western Amateur Championship History 43